They have developed a simple and efficient way to convert polylactic acid (PLA), a bio-based plastic used in products such as filament, plastic silverware and food packaging, to a high-quality resin.
“We found a way to immediately turn this into something that’s stronger and better, and we hope that will provide people the incentive to upcycle this stuff instead of just tossing it away,” said Yu-Chung Chang, a postdoctoral researcher and a co-corresponding author on the work. “We made stronger materials just straight out of trash. We believe this could be a great opportunity.”
About 300,000 tons of PLA are produced annually, and its use is increasing dramatically.
Although it’s bio-based, PLA, which is categorised as a number seven plastic, doesn’t break down easily. It can float in fresh or salt water for a year without degrading. It is also rarely recycled because like many plastics, when it’s melted down and re-formed, it doesn’t perform as well...